- Tatsuzō Shimaoka
nihongo|Tatsuzō Shimaoka|島岡 達三|Shimaoka Tatsuzō|
27 October 1919 –11 December 2007 was a JapaneseMingei potter and Living National Treasure.cite web|url=http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/shimaoka-tatsuzo-er.html|title=Japanese Pottery Information Centre] He was best known for his unique Jomon Zogan style of pottery. Tatsuzo died fromacute liver failure in Mashiko,Tochigi Prefecture .Early life
Tatsuzo was born in
Tokyo . At 19 Tatsuzo decided he wanted to be a mingei potter, after a visit to theNihon Mingeikan (Folk Museum) he came away inspired.cite web|url=http://www.glenfarmpottery.com/ArticleShimaoka.htm|title=Clay Times article] At that time Tatsuzo was attending theTokyo Institute of Technology , after graduating in 1942 he served in the army in Burma and spent some time as aprisoner of war . It wasn't until 1946 that Tatsuzo was able to start his pottery apprenticeship.Career
In 1946 Tatsuzo started his apprenticeship with the potter
Shoji Hamada . The formal apprenticeship ended in 1949. After working for three years at the Tochigi Prefecture Ceramic Research Center, in 1953 Tatsuzo set up his own pottery next door to his former teacher Shoji. The following year he gave his first exhibition, it was held in Tokyo. 1963 saw the first of his yearly exhibitions in Tokyo's Matsuya Ginza department store. He would later go on to also have yearly exhibitions at Hankyu department store inOsaka . Tatsuzo's first American exhibition was held inBoston in 1974, his first European exhibition was at theKunstgewerbe Museum (craftwork museum),Hamburg in 1977.
Over the years Tatsuzo has frequently lectured and taught in theUSA andCanada . cite web|url=http://www.adhikara.com/shimaoka2.htm|title=Adhikara art gallery and museum] His work can be found in many museums around the world, some of which are: TheVictoria and Albert Museum ,Metropolitan Museum of Art and theIsrael Museum . [ cite web|url=http://www.puckergallery.com/shimaoka.html|title=Pucker Gallery website]Pottery style
In 1996 Tatsuzo was made a Living National Treasure by the Japanese Government. This honour was bestowed upon him for his unique contribution to the art of pottery. Tatsuzo's Jomon Zogan pottery was inspired by two ancient processes. The Jōmon rope like process and the Korean Yi Dynasty process of adding white slip to decorative indentations.
Jomon Zogan involves using silk rope to make impressions in the wet clay, the white slip is then added and highlights the patterns made by the silk rope.External links
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3064873.ece Tatsuzo Shimaoka obituary] in
The Times , December 18, 2007
**Sir Hugh Cortazzi: [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3069539.ece Life remembered]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2241892,00.html The Guardian: Tatsuzo Shimaoka obituary]References
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